Stage and Studio

Each week Dmae Roberts talks with performing, literary and media artists from the Portland Metro area as well as around the Northwest. As a two-time Peabody award-winning radio producer and writer, Roberts brings national quality to regional arts scene. Dmae often features her national radio work on Stage and Studio.If you have an event please send an email to stagenstudio@aol.com two months before your event. The earlier the better!

What's it like to be a Wesen or a Hexenbiest? For the last two years, many area actors have found work on NBC's hit show Grimm. A cop drama inspired by a twisted version of Grimm's Fairy Tales, the television show has brought work to actors, designers and crew throughout the Portland area. Dmae talks with two Portland actors Danny Bruno and Mary McDonald-Lewis who have had recurring roles on the show that has brought them national attention.

Dmae Roberts talks to New York Times bestseller list author Jamie Ford about his newest book Songs of Willow Frost. Set against the backdrop of Depression-era Seattle, Songs of Willow Frost is a powerful tale of two people—a 12-year-old Chinese-American boy with dreams for his future and a woman he believes to be his mother who is escaping her haunted past.

On this membership drive edition of Stage & Studio, guest host S.W. Conser talks with director Bobby Bermea and actors Karen Wennstrom and Tom Mounsey all from Theatre Vertigo's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher. We'll be offerig tickets for thank you gifts as well as tickets for Milagro Theatre's season. Dmae will also present a preview of her interview with NY Times Bestseller List author Jamie Ford and a signed copy of his newest book "Songs of Willow Frost."

More about the play: Theatre Vertigo Presents Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Adapted By Jeffrey Hatcher

From Day of the Dead to taiko, Portland’s two of the top professional multicultural arts groups offer new artistic celebrations. First up, Dmae talks with artistic director Olga Sanchez and director Lakin Valdez from Milagro Theatre’s Dia de muertos show, Corrido Calavera. And in the latter part of the show, we hear from Michelle Fujii of Portland Taiko about Making Waves 2013 featuring LA-based taiko group ON ENSEMBLE.

(Airs 11am Tues 10/8/13 on KBOO 90.7FM)

More about CORRIDO CALAVERA: In celebration of its 30th anniversary season, Milagro invited Lakin Valdez of the renowned El Teatro Campesino to lead the creation of Corrido Calavera, the story of Juan and Amanda, a couple who, wanting to spice things up in their failing marriage, decide to go on a second honeymoon.

Dmae Roberts talks with ulie Wu about her debut novel The Third Son. Set in Taiwan during World War II, the novel opens in 1943. An eight-year-old boy named Saburo, lives in fear of his abusive family one moment and is running for his life under gunfire from American planes strafing the Japanese occupied island the next.

New season openings abound in September. Dmae talks international and national dance with White Bird's Walter Jaffe and Paul King and then she checks in with Sarah Jane Hardy at NW Children's Theatre's James and the Giant Peach. (Airs 11am Tues (9/17) on KBOO 90.7FM )

"In The Mix: Conversations with Artists...Between Races" by Dmae Roberts is a radio exploration of Mixed Race. Through the voices of artists who have dedicated their lives to building bridges and bringing to light interracial issues and themes, Roberts takes us on a journey to understanding what means to be of Mixed Race.

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Dmae Roberts checks in with Dámaso Rodriguez, artistic director of Artists Repertory Theatre. After a season of plays that didn't differ too much from the Artists Rep's past seasons, Rodriguez opened the most diverse season in the company's history starting with Lynn Nottage's Intimate Apparel and Carlos Lacámara's Exiles. The rest of the season offers plays such as Tribes that delves into a deaf community and The Invisible Hand by Ayad Aktar set in Pakistan.

Dámaso Rodriguez

Rodriguez has also assembled a diverse group of resident artists who represent a variety of groups in the community. It would seem that Artists Rep's 2014-15 season no longer follows the traditional mainstream theatre model of predominantly white plays with only one African American or Latino play and this season might set the tone for a new direction for the theatre. We'll hear more about Rodriguez opening shows and his long-term vision for the rest of the season.

About Intimate Apparel: Set in 1905 NYC, this riveting tale is about the empowerment of Esther, an African American seamstress who creates exquisite lingerie for Fifth Avenue boudoirs and red-light brothels. As she yearns for a different life, she finds unconventional friendships with clients that defy race, religion and class. Artists Rep kicks off the 2014/15 season with the long-awaited Portland debut of this award-winning, Off-Broadway and regional theatre sensation by a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright.

About Exiles: When a storm leaves their tiny vessel helplessly adrift at sea, tension escalates as six Cuban refugees find themselves in a desperate battle against the elements, each other and their past. Set during the 1980 Mariel Boatlift when Fidel Castro allowed Cuban-Americans to bring family members by boat to America, but only if they took “undesirables” with them, this new play from a Cuban-born playwright sheds light on a rarely told, but fascinating story in American history.

About the playwright:

Carlos Lacámara was born in Havana, Cuba on November 11, 1958. He and his parents left Cuba to escape the Cuban Revolution when Carlos was just 2 years old. From there he moved to Washington D.C., then to Puerto Rico, then to California, where he resides now. Carlos graduated from UCLA, and then started his acting career. A professional actor for 25 years, Carlos has appeared in over 100 television shows, including recent appearances in Curb Your Enthusiasm, Lie To Me and Desperate Housewives.

Carlos Lacámara

In April 2000, Carlos Lacámara returned to Cuba after an absence of 40 years. His observations and conversations with his family and other Cubans inspired him to write the play, Becoming Cuban, which The Los Angeles Times called “A rare, insightful new play,” and the LA Weekly proclaimed the “Best Political Drama of 2002.” Exiles is the third play in his trilogy of Cuban plays.

Hear the last December holiday special featuring the final ZooZoo at Imago Theatre and 'Santaland Diaries' at Portland Center Stage. The long-running holiday hit ZooZoo is saying farewell. We'll hear from two performers in the show: Jonathan Godsey and Pratik Motwani. And in the latter part of the show, popular actor Darius Pierce joins us to talk about his solo show at PCS. Plus ticket giveaways to some selling out shows!

ZOOZOO RETURNS WITH CATS! at Imago Theatre and runs through JAN.1st in Portland.

This family hit brings to life the antics of our everyday household cats in a not-so-everyday way. The show is joined by audience hit "Cats" who join the entourage of Frogs, Penguins, Hippos and other wild, crazy creatures that make the world of ZooZoo. Tickets $16 for kids, $27 for youth/senior, $31 for adults. They are available at the door or by calling Imago: 503.231.9581. Or TicketsWest.com, 503.224.8499. Find out more at ImagoTheatre.com. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Santaland Diaries By David Sedaris Adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello, directed by Wendy Knox and performed by Darius Pierce. Runs through December 30th at Portland Center Stage.

Based on the true chronicles of David Sedaris’ experience as Crumpet the Elf in Macy’s Santaland display, this cult classic riffs on a few of Sedaris’ truly odd encounters with his fellow man during the height of the holiday crunch. NPR humorist and best-selling author of When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, David Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers, and this production has become a Portland holiday tradition.

Performance times: Tuesday - Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Thursday matinees at noon All shows are at Portland Center Stage located at 128 NW Eleventh Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97209. For more info and tickets call 503-445-3700 or visit their site at PCS.org.

Seeds of Hope at Do Jump! is as a tale of a teenage girl whose carefree summer is rocked by a stunning turn of events. Interwoven is the mythic tale of Pandora opening her box of chaos and unleashing a physical collage of aerial dance, acrobatics & song. Seeds of Hope weaves together our shared experiences to explore themes of change, optimism and hope.

Directed by Aaron Wheeler-Kay, Seeds of Hope introduces an exceptional ensemble of youth artists from across our community, and features live original music by Mike Van Liew, Jack Buddeke & Mike Snyder. Come be a part of this innovative performance!

Audience members age 10 & above will grasp its themes, and the athleticism & artistry of Seeds of Hope are appropriate for all ages.

For NWCT's 20th anniversary, the theatre and school presents the classic musical Peter Pan, the same production that launched the company.

For NWCT's 20th anniversary, the theatre and school presents the classic musical Peter Pan, the same production that launched the company. The legend of “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up” began back in 1904 with J.M Barrie’s original stage play. Over the past century, Peter Pan has been adapted into films, books, and graphic novels. It is also the story that gave NW Children’s Theater & School its start back in 1993. For their 20th Anniversary Season, the Children’s Theater has commissioned an original musical adaptation by author Milo Mowery and composer Rodolfo Ortega.

With direction by NWCT Artistic Director Sarah Jane Hardy, Peter Pan marks the return of the creative team behind last year’s El Zorrito: The Legend of the Boy Zorro, which won a drammy for “Outstanding Original Script.” EC. 8 - JAN. 6, 2012-13.

Live music, clogging and conversation with Portland Revels Appalachian Christmas. We'll hear about this yearly tradition of presenting the music and dance of traditions around the world.

Around the country there's a tradition of Revels which is a season celebration of holiday traditions during Christmas. Portland Revels has been bringing a yearly celebratory performance each year set in different countries. This year the Christmas Revels brings music and dance of mid-1800s Appalachia featuring a chorus of more than 70 to reenact an Appalachian village with carols, spirituals and clogging.

Dmae Roberts will talk with singer and dancer Suzannah Park and Betsy Branch of the Blue Mountain String Band. We'll find out more about the Christmas Revels production and hear a live concert. Also in the cast are Portland actors Ithica Tell and Shuhe Hawkins, and local musicians including Betsy Branch, Leela Grace, Gabrielle Macrae, Kevin Sandri, Sophie Vitells and the Portland Brass Quintet. The music includes instrumental traditions of the American 1800s, including shape note carols and Shaker hymns and spirituals.

How do you bring together widely different communities through an art-making project? Tune in Nov. 13 at 11am on KBOO 90.7FM for some insights with artist Horatio Law and his Open Circles project. Law is working with communities at Sisters of the Road and Planned Parenthood to create a public installation that will get people thinking and talking about social currency and self-empowerment.

Horatio Hung-Yan Law is a public art and installation artist who is interested in creating collaborative installations with diverse communities, and in exploring how art activates the complex and dynamic relationship between individual and community. As artist-in-resident, he has created installations with Multnomah County Health Department, South Waterfront Development, and families with children adopted from China. He's now working on public art projects with the Oregon State Hospital, Seattle Public Utility % for Art in South Park, and Tri-Met’s Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Line. He is also an assistant professor at the Pacific Northwest College of Art.

We'll also hear from Lucilene Lira, Leadership Program Coordinator for Sisters Of The Road: Created and coordinated by artist Horatio Hung-Yan Law, in collaboration with artist Sandy Sampson, the Open Circles project began in early September. Over the following month, Sisters community members painted 60 plates with unique new urban hobo sign decals. Designed, re-glazed and decorated, the New Urban (Hobo) Signs plates update the hobo signs from the Depression Era, reflecting the experiences of people who are homeless in our city today. The plates captured the imagination of everyone who participated.

And we'll hear about the impact on the project at Planned Parenthood from Susanne Hashim, VP for External Affairs: Open Circles Project Bird’s Nest Building Workshops at Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette (PPCW) on MLK. To raise awareness around and about Planned Parenthood—the project points out that “Birds make their nests only when they are ready to start a family.”—members of the public are welcome to make nests and decorate them with unique materials that reflect one’s thoughts about home and family. Both the difficult issues and the joy of nurturing a family are equal parts of the reality the project is attempting to explore. The nests will become part of the “Open Circles Project” Installation at Place Gallery, Pioneer Place Mall in November.

Events for public installation: Open Circles collaborative, community art project, opens Saturday, November 17th at the Place Black Gallery. The opening reception will be held 5:00 to 9:00 pm, and will feature artists who participated in the Open Circles project. There will be a second reception December 15th from 5-9 pm.

'Making Change' is a year-long series funded by the Regional Arts and Culture Council and individual donors including June Arima & John Schumann Fund of the Equity Foundation.

'Making Change' is a series about the intersection of creativity and social change. These features and specials have been airing throughout the year. Find out how you can support 'Making Change.'

Dmae Roberts talks with award-winning author Kim Stafford about his new memoir 100 Tricks Every Boy Can Do: How My Brother Disappeared In poetic and poignant detail, Stafford takes us on a journey of sibling love and departure. We'll hear about his experiences with his brother and the different paths their lives took and hear readings from his new book.

More about 100 Tricks Every Boy Can Do: Bret and Kim Stafford, the oldest boys of the Poet Laureate and pacifist William Stafford, were close. As children, they never fought and were inseparable, yet each had their own unique place within the family. Bret was the good son, the obedient public servant; Kim the itinerant wanderer. Though their home was full of love, there was a code of silence about hard things: “Why tell what hurts?”

As childhood pleasures ebbed, this reticence took its toll on Bret. Against a backdrop of the 1950s and 60s, Bret—a puritan in the summer of love, a conscientious objector in the Vietnam era—became a casualty of his own interior war and took his life, leaving the family—and Kim—to endure the loss. Taking its title from a pamphlet Bret ordered as a kid, 100 Tricks Every Boy Can Dois a memoir that works its own magic in portraying two brothers bound by love and friendship through boyhood and adolescence, forging their way into adulthood, together and then, ultimately, apart. Through Kim’s devotions, he shares Bret’s life and what it teaches us about the secret nature of depression, the tender ancestry of violence, the quest for harmonious relations, and finally, the trick of joy.

Kim Stafford has taught since 1979 at Lewis and Clark College, where he is the founding director of the Northwest Writing Institute and co-director of the Documentary Studies program. He also serves as the literary executor for the estate of William Stafford. He has worked as an oral historian, letterpress printer, editor, photographer, teacher, and visiting writer in communities and colleges across the country, and in Italy, Scotland, and Bhutan. Stafford has published a dozen books of poetry and prose, including The Muses Among Us: Eloquent Listening and Other Pleasures of the Writer’s Craft; Early Morning: Remembering My Father, William Stafford; and Having Everything Right: Essays of Place. He has received two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, the Oregon Governor’s Arts Award, and a Western States Book Award. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and children. More info on the book: www.tupress.org or Kim Stafford's site: www.kim-stafford.com/

Host Dmae Roberts features music and memory this week. We'll hear from musicians Cynthia Stillman Gerdes and Susan Alexjander about a concert with the women of Cascadia Composers called “Crazy Janes Collaborate!" And playwright Miriam Feder tells us about 'Ephemory' her new play about memories that are ephemeral.

'Crazy Jane' is the name of an earthy character invented by the Irish poet W. B. Yeats and based on a real person that Yeats admired for her audacity, lust for life and satirical eye. She is a passionate old woman who flies in the face of convention and propriety to speak her mind about love, war, character and freedom.

The women of Cascadia Composers adopted “Crazy Jane” as a muse because her bold spirit and fearlessness in expressing herself can be an inspiration to women composers – a group that has been marginalized throughout Western musical history. Some of the older composers grew up during a time when women were barred from playing in professional orchestras and what few female musicians, and especially composers and conductors, who had existed barely merited a footnote in traditional music education.

And in the latter part of the show, Dmae talks with Miriam Feder about her new play Ephemory, a new play by Miriam Feder, is a story of aging, caregiving, immigration, war, and love

The story of Ephemory: While packing her mother Carole to an assisted living facility, Ruth begins to hears her mom’s stories. She hears about her mom immigrating to New York in 1938, losing track of her family as war swept the continent, and finding, reuniting. The stories come to life on stage and the play and the daughter seesthe resourcefulness and magnificence of her mother, even as Carole's faculties diminish.

Ephemory opens November 9 at the Headwaters Theatre in Portland and runs November 9, 10, II, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21 (Wednesday,) 23,24 and 25. Shows are at 7:30, except for Sundays, at 2 pm. The Headwaters is located at 55 NE Farragut, 97211.

[DIRECTIONS: From N. Vancouver Ave. turn Rat NE Farragut (3 blocks north of Lombard. Landmark=electric sub-station on N.E Comer.) At end of Farragut (~blocks) turn L into parking lot. Entrance is on the "track" side.]

TICKETS: Tickets are $15, gen. admission. Discount available for groups of 10 or more. For more info visit: https:llwww.boxofficetickets.com/enter Ephemory. (cash or check at the door only.)

Dear Friends: I urge you to support Stage & Studio. I"m at a crossroads and your support will help insure there is local arts coverage. There are still tickets available to Artists Rep and Portland Playhouse. Call 503-232-8818 or donate online. https://kboo.fm/membershipform Just make sure you credit Stage & Studio with code T02.

Up first, Dmae Roberts talks with director Kevin Jones & actor Lance McQueen from August Wilson's Seven Guitars at Artists Repertory Theatre's 30th season. The play focuses on seven African-American characters in 1948. Seven Guitars begins and ends after the funeral of one of the main characters, showing events leading to the funeral in flashbacks. Seven Guitars covers 1940s as part of Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycleplays in a decade-by-decade anthology of African-American life during the twentieth century. Kevin Jones is also the co-creator of the August Wilson Red Door Project. We'll learn more about this effort to bring positive change in Portland's racial ecology.

Seven Guitars runs through November 11 on the Morrison Stage, 1515 SW Morrison, Portland. Tickets are $25-$50; Students $20. For more info and reservations,503.241.1278 or visit www.artistsrep.org

Then Dmae talks with Brian Weaver, artistic director of Portland Playhouse about Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson and another installment of August Wilson's cycle plays which revisits the stories of some of these characters in King Hedley II, set in the 1980s.

Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson is a political emo-rock musical fiercely tackling territorial expansion and Jackson's genocidal policies of Native American removal from homelands leading to a forced 1000-mile march across America called the Trail of Tears. The show runs through Nov. 11 at Portland Playhouse located at 602 NE Prescott in Portland. For reservations and more info, call 503-488-5822.

We'll also hear about August Wilson's King Hedley II starring acclaimed Oregon Shakespeare Festival actor Peter Macon.King Hedley II, set in the mid-1980s in a Pittsburgh plagued by desperation, blight, and drive-by shootings, tells the story of a man and his community struggling to reconcile with the past and build for the future.

And in the final portion of the show, we'll learn about Mozart’s most powerful opera, Don Giovanni at Portland Opera. Don Giovanni opens November 2 at Keller Auditorium with additional performances November 4 pm, 8, 10, 2012. Tickets begin at $25.

The hero of Mozart and Da Ponte’s Don Giovanni has shocked, outraged and fascinated audiences since his first sighting in Prague a couple hundred years ago. Suave and maniacal, he is a seducer and murderer who answers to nothing but his drives and desires. Portland Opera’s production, originally created for New York City Opera in 2009 by Christopher Alden, was praised by The New York Times as “dark, erotic and vividly theatrical . . . striking, insightful.” Alden will restage his popular work here, unearthing the heart of this timeless, disturbing tale in a new production by Portland Opera.

A special extended edition featuring Miracle Theatre's new season and RAÍZ with Artistic Director Olga Sanchez and director Bill Rauch talks about Portland Center Stage's The Body Of An American. We'll also find out what's new for Oregon Shakespeare Festival and hear about Where Are You From?, a new Asian American Anthology.

Dmae Roberts talks about Miracle's World Premiere of RAÍZ with Olga Sanchez and actress Maria Sanchez. Portland's long-running Dia de los muertos celebration features a world premiere play about a cabal of Aztec gods, a young clown and his partner. With music and dance, the play goes back in time and interweaves the roots of pre-Hispanic history and traditions with musings on life and death. We'll also get highlights of the new Miracle Theatre season.

Tickets: $15 - $30; discounts for students, seniors, groups of 15+ and advance purchases. Tickets can be purchased from www.milagro.org or 503-236-7253 or www.milagro.org

Then at 11:30am we'll hear from Bill Rauch, artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. We'll hear about the 2013 opening weekend. Dmae talked with Rauch in Portland when he was here to direct the world premiere of The Body Of An American by award-winning playwright Dan O'Brien at Portland Center Stage.

When O'Brien was moved to contact war photographer Paul Watson about his book Where War Lives, the two began a correspondence eventually leading to a dramatic meeting in the Canadian Arctic. Hear this amazing story of a friendship and the war experiences that haunted them.

Portland Center Stage’s world premiere production of The Body of an American by Dan O’Brien runsTuesday through Sundaythrough November 11, 2012. Tickets start at $39, with discounts available for students and those under 25. Rush tickets are $20. In his first production at PCS, Oregon Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Bill Rauch is directing this riveting world premiere.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with 2 p.m. matinees on Sundays and select Saturdays and matinees at noon on Thursdays. See the show calendar at www.pcs.org/bodyfor the complete performance schedule. Tickets can be purchased online at www.pcs.org, by phone at 503.445.3700 or by visiting the box office located at 128 NW Eleventh Avenue.

Byron Wong of the Thymos organization of Oregon will tell us about their new anthology Where Are You From?: An Anthology of Asian American Writing. Co-edited by Valerie Katagiri and Larry Yu, Where Are You From? is a collection of personal essays, fiction, poetry, and visual arts created by established artists and emerging voices in the Asian American community.

Inspired by the all-too-common question asked of Asian Americans from “fresh off the boat” immigrants to multigenerational native born citizens, Where Are You From? explores the diverse geographies of Asian American experience from the personal to the political and all points between.

Contributors include former Oregon Poet Laureate Lawson Inada; writings by documentary filmmaker Curtis Choy and popular authors Andrew Lam and Matthew Salesses; a critical look at the suicide of Iris Chang by Professor Darrell Hamamoto; an interview with Iris Chang's mother, Ying-Ying Chang; poems and stories by Hawaiian "Pidgin Guerrilla" Lee Tonouchi; Dmae Roberts’ personal reflections about her brother and hoarding; Nicholas Hartlep’s autobiographical essay about his experiences as a transracial adoptee in the US; Roberta May Wong’s provocative art installations about identity and belonging; companion essays by Simon Tam and Ben Efsanem debating the politics of “reclaiming” racist epithets.

Thymos will be hosting a launch party for the anthology that is free and open to the public:

Where Are You From?: An Anthology of Asian American Writing! October 22nd at 5:30-8:00 PM located at Dragonwell Bistro, 735 SW First Avenue, Portland, OR 97204. (Located on the corner of SW 1st & Yamhill, next to Yamhill District Max Station)

Dmae Roberts presents a Making Change special featuring Portland's Street Roots newspaper and Colored Pencils who are working toward social and cultural change through literary and artistic ways. We'll also hear about a Corvallis man who drew international attention for outdoor mural. Join Dmae Roberts for a half-hour of inspirational stories about people working toward Making Change in their communities.

Up first, producer Tali Singer brings us a feature story aboutStreet Roots, a nonprofit newspaper addressing homelessness and poverty in Portland.

The paper gives opportunities to the unhoused community to write as we well as work as as vendors, preventing homelessness for more than 250 people each year.

Street Roots' mission is to be a catalyst for individual and social change. We'll go out with vendors as they sell the paper on street corners and we'll hear from Israel Bayer, the executive director of Street Roots.

Then we'll hear a piece from producer Sarika Mehta in her first piece for Stage & Studio. It's about Colored Pencils, a grassroots arts group created by Polo Catalani and Nim Xuto.

Colored Pencils started off as small community events featuring immigrant artists and has grown to be a leader in promoting tolerance, understanding and cultural diversity in Portland through events that draw 100 or more people each month.

We'll experience once recent event in downtown Portland's Director Park and hear from the founders about their efforts to promote diversity.

Mehta also interviewed urban studies scholar Caleb Rosado who talks about the importance of an organization like Colored Pencils and what has made Oregon historically a mostly white state.

And finally, Dmae Roberts reports on an outdoor mural in Corvallis, Oregon that drew international attention in the usually quiet college town of about 55,000 people.

Recently, Corvallis' city government found itself explaining democracy and freedom of speech to Chinese government officials who found the 10 x 100 foot mural disturbing.

On the right side are pastoral scenes of Taiwan. Nearby lanterns float to the sky with messages of independence written in Chinese. On the left side of the mural, a graphic image of self-immolation by Tibetan monks.

The mural was commissioned by David Lin, a Taiwanese-American businessman who wanted to show his concern for Tibet and Taiwan indendence. But Chinese diplomats complained and flew to Corvallis to get Mayor Julie Manning to remove the mural.